Suppressing the Protagonist at the Start to Seize the Heroine - Chapter 9 - Chen Yang’s decision

The Immortal Path led to Longevity and Sovereign was heading in ease. When the Longevity was no longer in ease, all living beings were just prisoners. Conspiracy, internal strife, and the invasion of the others, all of it emerged together. 

In such a world, there was such a young man. He made his way upstream, stepping on blood, defying the emperor, destroying the various kings, and slaughtering his way through the hundred clans to form an Immortal Path towards the throne of Sovereign! The Immortal Path was endless, while the Sovereign was limited. He used his blood to forge his immortal legend.

- Description from Novelupdates

Long ago a great calamity struck the earth, destroying much of it and merging what remained with pieces of other worlds.

With these worlds came Aether, a new form of energy that can allow one to transcend the bounds of normal mortality and human limitations.

In a world where humans absorb the essence of aether beasts to gain power, Aiden Hawke joins the class of humans known as arcanists, people who defeat aether beasts and absorb their essence into cores they forge within themselves, and who infuse themselves with the aether that permeates the world around them to increase the power of their body and mind.

However, unlike most, Aiden will find that he holds a unique gift and that his journey as an arcanist will not be so simple.

“Discovered the corpse of an ordinary human, loot to receive Super-strength Pill, extract?”

[Your shadow is alive.][Feed your shadow, devour souls, level up, gain skills, complete quests, and grow stronger.][Do you wish to view your current stats?]In the magical world of Aetherus, Damon Grey is the weakest student at Aether Academy, relentlessly bullied and ridiculed for his lack of power and defiant personality. Yet, he endures the torment, clinging to his scholarship—the only thing providing him with the funds to keep his sick sister alive.After a brutal attack leaves him near death, Damon encounters a dark viscous entity in the forest that fuses with his shadow, awakening the Living Shadow System. This strange power grants him unimaginable abilities but comes with a grim cost—a relentless hunger for souls and flesh to feed his shadow.Now, with his shadow alive and insatiable, Damon faces a terrible choice: feed it to grow stronger or starve it and die with it.In a world ruled by ruthless nobles, deadly monsters, and power-hungry demons, Damon must decide if his newfound power is a curse or the only way to survive. With the Living Shadow System, his fate is clear: devour or be devoured.